Godagari (Rajshahi) Representative:
The 31-bed hospital (locally known as Godagari Hospital) located in the Godagari Municipal area of Rajshahi is currently plagued with various problems. Thousands of people in the upazila are being deprived of the desired medical services due to severe manpower shortage and the only government ambulance being broken down for a long time.
Established in 1994, this non-profit medical center under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the primary and secondary treatment center for the people of different areas of the upazila including Godagari Municipality. However, the medical services of the hospital are currently being disrupted due to various limitations.
Broken ambulance, suffering double fare
It was found that the government ambulance was the only means of transferring the critical patients to the Rajshahi Medical College (RAMEC) hospital for better treatment. However, in a tragic road accident on March 3, 2025, the ambulance driver was killed and the vehicle was completely scrapped. A long time has passed since the accident but till date no new ambulance has been assigned to the hospital.
As a result, patients have to undergo extreme suffering to take Rajshahi in an emergency. The patients who came to the hospital for treatment expressed their anger and said that earlier, because of the government ambulance, emergency patients could be taken to Rajshahi at a very low cost. Now forced to hire a private ambulance from outside and have to count double money. Sometimes the car is not available on time.
Acute shortage of cleaners and class IV posts As most of the posts of class IV employees are vacant in the hospital, there is a fear that the medical services and environment of the hospital will be seriously disrupted. According to hospital sources, all the 5 posts of cleaners are currently vacant. No new staff has been recruited since the contract of 5 workers previously employed through outsourcing expired on June 1. As a result, it has become difficult to keep the emergency department, ward and surrounding environment clean. At any time, the hospital premises become a pile of dirt and there is a danger of disease spreading.
Not only the cleaners, but also the posts of gardeners and cooks (cooks/mashalchi) are all vacant for a long time. Besides, 1 out of 2 posts of Security Guard, 2 out of 3 posts of Iyer and 1 out of 2 posts of Ward Boy are vacant. In total only 3 employees are currently working against 15 sanctioned posts; Remaining 12 posts are completely vacant.
In order to solve this acute crisis, on June 14, the Health and Family Planning Officer of the hospital, Dr. Syed Md. Suman Rajshahi, has sent an official letter to the Divisional Health Director and Civil Surgeon, requesting them to take necessary measures to supply cleaners on an urgent basis.
OPD and Emergency Services Running Amidst Restrictions Amid so many problems, the hospital is providing treatment to hundreds of patients in the Outpatient Department (OPD) every day from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM on government tickets. Besides
The emergency department is open 24 hours for accidental or critically ill patients.
Indoor service 31 beds admitting critical patients with food and free medicines (subject to availability) as per government norms. Maternal Health There is regular checkup and normal delivery for expectant mothers.
Lab facilities While X-ray and some common lab tests are available, there are no complex test facilities.
Note that the hospital works in coordination with the main medical center of the upazila, Godagari (Prematoli) Upazila Health Complex.
Modernization demands of the locals As it is located at a convenient location next to the Rajshahi-Nawabganj highway, this hospital is the main shelter for the marginalized people of several unions of the upazila including the Godagari municipal area. However, the locals complain that the hospital is not able to provide full services due to lack of necessary facilities.
As the distance from Godagari to the district town is long, taking patients to Ramek Hospital in any emergency is very risky and expensive. In response to this situation, the local residents have put forward some specific demands to the authorities
- Recruitment of new ambulances and drivers They demanded speedy resumption of ambulance services, which have been suspended since last year’s road accidents, so that patients can be saved from private ambulance syndicates.
- It has been demanded to remove the deadlock of the hospital by appointing specialist doctors and adequate manpower along with gynaecologists, medicine and paediatricians as well as necessary nurses and cleaners.
- Complete modern lab facilities Locals demand that all types of modern labs and diagnostic tests be arranged in the hospital at government expense.
The main demand of the victims and conscious citizens is that the Godagari 31 bed hospital should not be left as a nominal primary care center but should be developed as a modern and self-sufficient medical center. They sought the approval of the concerned higher authorities and local administration for a permanent arrangement so that they do not have to depend on Rajshahi city for emergency treatment.